The Footman
by WritingAurora
Summary: Judy has everything. The finest of dresses, the richest of meals, and a comfortable home as the daughter of an earl. There is nothing she could possibly want for. Or is there? When a new footman joins the Hopps household, Judy realises that there's two things she's been missing: true happiness, and a love so strong it makes even the most stubborn of bunnies weak in their knees.


**Hello guys! I was watching Pride and Prejudice a couple of days ago, when suddenly inspiration struck. This won't be inspired by the plot in any way, but will be set at around the same time period, with influences from both 18th and 19th century fashion and culture. Without further ado, I present to you, the Footman!**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Judy**

The wind blew softly around her as Judy leisurely sat on the swing. Birds chirped in nearby trees, and there was a sense of calm and tranquillity in the air. If her mother saw what she was doing, she wouldn't approve, Judy knew of it. But she was in father's study, talking about a 'matter of utmost importance' as she had put it. So, Judy happily continued.

She probably would have stayed that way for several hours to come had her sister, Jenna, not showed up to collect her. She was the same age as Judy, both being from the same litter and all, yet Judy still took pride in technically being six minutes earlier. "It's dinnertime already, Judy. We cannot be late again, you know what father says about punctuality."

"Without it, one is doomed." Judy laughed and hopped of the swing, landing gracefully on the ground. "Yes, yes I know." She brushed imaginary dirt off her dress before she continued. "Better get going then, don't you think?"

The two young women made their way back to the estate. It's was a grand building, that was for sure. The mansion had been in their family for generations and generations, and would continue that way for several others to come. It was of a creamy colour, and big enough to fit all 126 of her brothers and sister, as well as the staff and any guests. The house was fit for a king, or at least so Judy thought. Her father, Lord Stu Hopps, was the Earl of Bunnyburrow, after all.

Food was just about to be served when the pair scurried into the hall and quickly seated themselves. Their brother's all rose from their chairs, but Stu, seated at the end of the table nearest them, ushered them to sit with a wave of his paw. "Now, now. Those girls are always late. Please, be seated, all of you." Judy and Jenna shared a smirk before turning their attention to their siblings around them. The table was huge, stretching down the entirety of the hall. Most parts of her family were engaging in conversation, yet they still managed to keep it at a low volume. Judy herself kept quiet. She wasn't in the mood for talking, and mostly just wanted to get back out onto their land. Soon, her plate was filled with a wild mushroom tartlet, and she happily dug in.

After a while, her father cleared his throat, silencing the entire room in the matter of a few seconds. "I think you have all, by now, heard rumours of a ball being planned here at the estate," he began. A murmur spread across the otherwise quiet room, with bunnies looking left and right, speculating with each other. Judy turned to Jeremy, whom she was sitting next to, with an expectant grin on her face. She might not be interested by most things a lady should be interested in, but she did enjoy a good ball. "The rumour is very much true. A ball especially for the nobility will be held here in a fortnight. As such, I expect you _all_ to be on your very best behaviour. Even the duke of Zootopia will attend. I-" Stu didn't get a chance to continue, as all mammals at the table started chatting loudly amongst one another.

The dinner finished off, and bunnies chatted excitingly amongst each other as they walked out. Judy helped some of her younger siblings get to their chambers before exiting the mansion. After a moment of indecisiveness, she decided to go out into the garden. It was big, with shaped bushes and every flower imaginable. Stone benches were scattered here and there along the gravel path, and several small bridges could be seen, rising over minor lakes. She paced along the path for a while, finally stopping by a large oak tree. It was a place she often visited. If she sat down by it sometime around noon, she would usually be able to watch the boys' fencing lessons. _One day, maybe I'll be able to join._ Judy shook the thought off herself. She would never. Stu wouldn't let her, and that was the end of it. It wasn't suitable for a lady, especially not for one of the eldest daughters of an earl. With a sigh, she leaned her head against the trunk of the tree and closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.

With a big yawn, Judy stretched her arms out to her sides. Blinking, she looked around. The air was chilly, making her clutch her bare arms and breathe cold air onto her face. The sky had darkened significantly, telling her that she had fallen asleep for longer than she had intended to. Shaking her head, she rose and made her way back into the manor.

Well there, she quickly found some of her sisters in a room. Some were reading, some were drawing, and some were chatting. Jenna was seated by the forte, playing a lively piece she had practiced on the entire day. The sound filled the room and enveloped the grey bunny. With a leap in her step she walked up to the doe and started singing along to the song. Jenna smiled in acknowledgment of her sister, and continued on playing. When she was finished, they strolled across the room to a free sofa and sat down.

"Did you hear about the new servants arriving tomorrow morning?" Jenna said excitedly to her. "I heard there's at least one young buck amongst them. Let's just hope for everyone's sake that he's easy on the eye." She continued, taking a biscuit laid out on the coffee table.

"Are you sure we're talking about everyone's sake, and not just yours?" Judy said with a smirk. "As for your actual question, I guessed as much, considering that we had several servants retiring just this month alone."

Jenna gave Judy a pointed look before she answered. "I'm just saying, it would be a shame if he turned out to be some old, ugly fellow." Judy gasped at that, instantly reprimanding her. "Hush, hush, now. You know what I mean. Nothing happens here anyway." Rolling her eyes, Judy helped herself to the biscuits.

"I know. I wish father would let us travel more often. One would think that he would want us out. This house gets awfully crowded as it is, let alone when guests come over or when a ball, like now, is to be held." Seeing the world was Judy's dream, and it pained her that she, more often than not, simply had to stay in Bunnyburrow. There were a few trips to nearby villages and towns, along with the occasional ball, but she craved for more.

"I agree. Sometimes it's hard to hear your own thoughts. Especially when the youngest are about." Jenna scoffed. Bunnies were almost notorious for their reproduction habits, often not stopping until the house had reached its breaking point. For the Hopps, that breaking point was looming. According to their mother, however, the current litter would be the last. _And thank god for that,_ Judy thought. Not that she didn't love her siblings, she truly did, but there were simply too many of them. "No wonder there's so much talk of engagements now. Hopefully it will be calmer around here soon."

"Hopefully." Judy agreed, before a comfortable silence settled upon them.

Lady Judy Hopps had always been known for being an early bird. The sun had barely gone up when she awoke. In a way, she felt sorry for waking up her chambermaid with the bell so very early, but on the other hand she was usually out the door quickly, and the maid could go back to sleep before tending to the others.

As Judy waited for Linda, her maid, she walked over to her wardrobe. She stood there, with one hand lazily feeling the soft fabrics, until Linda arrived. It wasn't until she heard a pleasant sounding 'hello' that she finally turned around. Quietly, so as to not wake up her sleeping sisters, she said hello back.

Once she was dressed and ready for the day, she thanked Linda and exited the room with the rustling, pale yellow dress billowing around her. Breakfast wouldn't be served until many hours later, and for once, the halls in the manor were empty. It was a thankful breather from the hectic life that came to being one of so many mammals living under the same roof. A few maids and other servants darted here and there, but otherwise it was just Judy alone with her thoughts. Bliss.

With a smile on her face, Judy started running down the halls. She leapt down staircase after staircase with ease, barely breaking a sweat. If only she had moved at a slightly slower rate, she might have noticed the figures making their way into the mansion. As it was, she barely even saw the furniture around her, everything turning into a blur before her eyes. She did not see them until just after colliding with them, in fact. A loud 'Oof' reached her ears as she ran straight into one of the mammals. Slightly disoriented, Judy looked up from her ungraceful position on the ground. Before her stood four figures, with another one, a fox it seemed, on the ground across from her. He stood up, all the while apologising profusely and offering her his hand. Eyes widening, she quickly gathered her dress and rose without help. As she did, she recognised that one of the figures was the butler, Mr. Herrington. The beaver looked resigned, yet not surprised.

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Herrington. I seem to have been slightly too excited to leave this morning." Apologetically, Judy bowed, her cheeks turning a soft pink from the embarrassment.

"Just a tad, lady Hopps," said the beaver with a small smile. After a moment of silence, he continued. "May I introduce the new servants to you? Or do you wish to be on your way?" Judy nodded in encouragement, ushering the beaver to continue speaking. He made a sweeping motion with his hand towards the four servants. Two of them were bunnies, and they both worse shocked faces upon the odd meeting with the bunny. One of them indeed was a buck, and a handsome one at that, which Judy smiled inwardly towards. She made a mental note to confirm Jenna's beliefs to her later. "This is Ms. Gardner, and this is Mr. Warren. They will both be working in the kitchen." Judy nodded and smiled towards the new servants. Both smiled back and bowed and curtsied respectively. Mr. Herrington went on to introduce a new valet, an otter called Mr. Bevyton, and a new gardener, Flash Slothmore. They both smiled pleasantly at her. "And then we have the new footman, Mr. Wilde, whom my lady just ran into."

"Again, I'm very, very sorry." For the first time, Judy properly looked at the mammal. The fox had russet fur and emerald green eyes. He was sporting a full footman outfit, complete with a black coat and matching yellow waistcoat and breeches. The waist coat adorned blue, embroidered details, and had slight wrinkles from his encounter with the rabbit only moments earlier. His face was one of worry as he continued to apologise profusely. "I should probably have seen you coming."

"It's quite alright, Mr. Wilde." Judy said. "If anyone, I should be the one apologising. After all, I do believe I was the one to run into you, and not the other way around." Judy curtsied quickly and gathered up her dress. "I best be going. Good day."

Without another word, she quickly shuffled out of the building and out onto the Hopps land, in the opposite direction of the garden. The sun had by then started to peek out behind the landscape, promising another sunny spring day. After a minute or two of goalless walking, Judy ended up by a large lake. Reminiscing old memories, the bunny saw shadows from past summers, with her and her siblings laughing and playing around the water. They weren't allowed to bathe in it, much to Judy's disappointment, but dipping one's feet was considered quite alright. And even though it was far too cold for it yet, Judy carefully stepped in, one paw at a time. The cold water felt like ice against Judy's wet fur, but she didn't mind.

She stayed that way until the water had gone from ice cold to pleasantly cool, thinking to herself. Part of her was befuddled as to why her father would hire a fox as a footman; they had next to no predators in their workforce, and certainly no foxes. Sure, there were predator noble-mammals, but more often than not predators kept to themselves, and prey kept to themselves. She assumed it was an attempt at making predator and prey more equal, and if so, she was glad that her father had become open-minded enough. As she looked around, she could see the mansion in the distance. _Time to get back,_ she thought to herself as she carefully stepped out of the water. The lower part of the hem was soaked through, leaving a trail of water wherever she went. She shook her head to herself and lifted the skirt up high in the air so it wouldn't get dirty, and then began making her way back to the house.

 **Nick**

Nick was an extremely lucky mammal. Not only had he been able to get a job as a footman, despite his predator status, but a footman at a noble-mammal, no less. He had gotten up bright and early in order to make the trip to Bunnyburrow on time. All he knew about his employer was that it was the earl of Bunnyburrow, lord Stu Hopps. He had a big family, as was the case with most bunnies, and would be paying well. It had come as a surprise to Nick when he had been chosen for the job. Prey families usually kept prey staff, but the fox was desperate for work and had sent in an application anyway.

He wasn't new to the job, having worked as a valet for some predator families of upper middle class. But when new laws were formed making it harder for predators, especially foxes, of middle class to earn a living, the families had been forced to let him go. Although at one instance, it had been by choice…

Nick shook the thought out of his head before it had any chance to properly enter. _I was young,_ was what he usually just said to himself. _I was young, and careless. It wasn't my fault._ Yet he knew the words to be untrue.

Shaking the feelings of himself, he ushered for his dear friend Flash to exit the carriage, as he was the slowest. After a painful amount of time he too jumped out, with a confident stride in his step. If he made himself look vulnerable, he'd be the object of any ridicule from the servants. _Never let them see that they get to you_.

He was quickly introduced to a Mr. Herrington. He was a very polished looking beaver, and judging by the clothing, the house butler. Mr. Herrington introduced them both to another pair of servants, a pair of bunnies. They both seemed slightly unnerved when they realised that they'd be working with a fox, but Nick merely ignored that and the nervous tugging in his stomach. Instead, he examined the house exterior. It was gigantic, extending so far Nick wasn't sure he'd ever find his way there.

The four new servants were first showed to the servants' quarters, where they were presented with their new work attire. The doe, Ms. Gardner, was showed to the female rooms, and Nick, Flash, and Mr. Bevyton to the male ones. They received a relatively big bedroom, housing six beds and six smaller dressers. After unpacking, they all met by the entrance for a proper tour of the house. As Nick looked around properly, he saw that the house was furnished in beautiful, expensive-looking light wood, with numerous paintings hanging along the walls.

The beaver was just about to continue the tour when a light-yellow ball suddenly crashed into the fox. He cried out in shock and slumped to the ground. Looking around, he noticed it had been a young, grey doe. In panic, Nick rose and started apologising. _Don't mess this up before you've even started, Nick._ Judging by the dress, it was one of the Hopps daughters, and one bad word from her could very well cost him his employment. His mother depended on him and the money from this job. He _could not_ fail her.

He offered her his assistance, but she refused and instead stood on her own. Instead, she started apologising to the butler, blushing as she did. Mr. Herrington proceeded with introducing the new staff to her, and she smiled politely to each one. For some reason, she seemed almost amused as she set eyes on the young buck, Mr. Bevyton. When Mr. Herrington introduced him, he started apologising yet again. _Better safe than sorry,_ he told himself.

"It's quite alright, Mr. Wilde." The bunny said in a kind tone. "If anyone, I should be the one apologising. After all, I do believe I was the one to run into you, and not the other way around." The doe curtsied. "I best be going. Good day."

Before Nick had even the slightest chance of responding, the bunny was off again, hurrying out of the house. Nick frowned and tilted his head to one side.

"Mr. Herrington, I believe I have to ask you. Who was that?"

The beaver shook his head with a caring smile plastered on his face. "That, Mr. Wilde, was lady Judy Hopps. One of the eldest daughters of lord Stu Hopps. A very kind soul." After a moment of silence, the beaver collected himself. "Well, if we want to have this tour finished by lunch we better continue at once. Follow me."

Nick's life at the Hopps manor had officially begun.

 **And that was chapter 1!** **Did you like it? Leave a review! Didn't you like it? Leave a review and tell me what to improve! I'm planning on either weekly updates, or updates every other week. It depends on how much time I will have on my hands, and if you guys want me to continue! So, what do you say? Do you feel as if this is an adventure worth embarking upon?**

 **Until next time!**


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